Making A Way Home
by ouatxox
Summary: During 3x22 where Emma attempts to use her magic to make a portal back home, but her magic wasn't strong enough to make a portal yet. Zelena's spell seems to still have Emma's magic for some reason, so Killian and Emma are stuck in the EF. Chaos ensues. Canon divergence, Captain Swan fun! More chapters will be added every here and there.
1. Making Paths

"Storybrooke. It's my home," Emma said as she faced Killian. She felt the ends of her lips curl into a faint smile. The two gazed at each other for a long, extended moment. Their eyes struck a long cord with one another, as if expecting something to happen. When nothing happened, they embraced tightly. Emma felt comfort in his arms, and Killian was the same. He'd given up his ship for her, but he didn't know if he'd ever get the right chance to tell her how far he'd be willing to go. Well, it was really because he still had doubts about if Emma replicated his feelings for her, so he placed the figurative ball in her court. Without her knowing of course. It was up to her to make a move, and if she didn't, Killian was happy enough where he was with her.

Rumple hadn't taken the potion to forget the two yet, but he stood there watching them. "Well, I want to forget you both now."

Killian and Emma quickly broke away from their embrace and shouted in perfect unison, "No, wait!" Emma clenches her fist and Killian nods to her, letting her speak. She stuttered for a moment, unsure of the words she was about to say. "I… I want to make a deal!"

Rumpelstiltskin gave his crazed chuckle and said, "Why would I want to make a deal with you, hm?"

She promptly responded, "Because I can tell you all about your future before you take that potion. I can tell you all you want to know about… about…" She paused and clenched her fist tighter. "About Baelfire. Whatever you want to know."

Rumple squinted his eyes at Emma and gave a demonic grin. "You've caught my attention. What do you want from me?"

"I can't make it back home without magic beans or something like that. My magic isn't powerful enough to send me home, either. So… Because I'm in the past, and I don't want to affect anyone's future or have any further effects on this world, could you make some kind of spell or curse that erases everything I do in this land? If I talk to anyone or mess anything up, I want it to be fixed so the path that is supposed to happen _will_ happen."

The Crocodile, as Killian called him, said, "Perhaps… Let me see what I can come up with."

Killian and Emma smiled to each other and said, "Once you have that done, I will tell you all you want to know. And, also, Kil- Hook, sorry, he exists in this world already. I would know," Emma said as she gave a glance towards Killian, who folded his arms across his chest and gave a visible huff. She continued, "Can you give him a different appearance in case someone should see him."

Rumple straightened his face and waved his hand, a contract appearing beside him. "Because of that extra...favor that I will do, you will tell me what you know about me in the next life, past my curse."

Emma pursed her lips and she gave a sigh. "Deal." She took the quill floating in the air and signed. Just before she could peruse the contract she just signed, but is disappeared with an insane cackle. Rumple snapped his fingers, and a necklace appeared around her neck, and Hook wore a ring.

"These will make you… Not matter, really. The spell will make it so anyone that hasn't seen you in over twelve hours will completely forget any interactions you had with them while you had these pieces are on: the necklace and the ring. Your little adventure? Whoever you met during it will remember you, but if you see them again, they won't remember anything past that if they haven't seen you in twelve hours. You see them at an inn, you leave, they never see you again, they forget they even met you a second time. Anything you take will be replaced by the spell after the twelve hour period"

Killian looked at the ring that appeared around his thumb, "Looks perfect, Crocodile."

Emma said, "I think you still wear more jewelry than I do, Hook," to which Killian winked slyly at her before she continued, "What about Hook's appearance? He doesn't look different to me."

Rumple replied, "He _is_ different. Look at him in a mirror." Killian went over to a mirror that was in the rear of the vault, and he rubbed his chin, smirking. Emma went up and peered at the unfamiliar man in the mirror. Thick and long dirty blond hair went just past his shoulders, and Killian now donned a thick beard. He had both of his hands, right there, and he gazed at them, no, stared at them. His once sea-blue eyes were pale gray. He was just as striking as he was in his own appearance, and to that Killian grinned.

"You think I look better like this, Swan?

She shook her head and laughed with a scoff behind it. "You're simply enjoying that hand of yours."

His grin turned devilish as he raised a cocky eyebrow. "I think you'd enjoy it as well."

Rumple interrupted them and took them back to the main room at his castle. "Where is my son? Tell me. Will I find him?"

Emma took a hard gulp and sat down. She explained all she knew to the Dark One, whose face twitched with strong emotion here and there as she spoke, but for the most part, he was so absolutely struck with hurt that he made no expressions.

"I think that's all I want to hear from you, dearie," Rumple said, the same expression on his face. Without noticing, Emma had clutched onto Killian's hand, but Emma pulled her hand away as soon as she noticed what she was doing.

"The deal is done. I don't want to hear anything else about this future." Rumple shooed the both of them out before he drank his potion.

Killian and Emma walked out of Rumplestiltskin's castle. Actually, that was a lie. They ran as fast as they could, considering how hostile the Dark One was towards Killian when they first arrived. Once they were a good length away, they stopped for a long breather, which they deserved. Killian hunched over to breathe while he laughed. Emma laughed as well, looking to him while hunching over herself.

She said, "So, you're the expert on the Enchanted Forest. You got any bright ideas on how to leave?"

He huffed and stood straight while his thumb grazed over his bottom lip. "I've got a couple. Not sure you'll like them, but they're at least ideas."

"Well, tell me!" She waved her hands in exclamation towards him, egging him on to talk freely.

"One: magic sprout from Anton. He's still in this land."

"No. I don't want to climb up another beanstalk. Please. We also don't have any of Mulan's sleeping powder or anyone else to help but ourselves..."

"Ah, but you are forgetting the memories we had there, love."

"How could I forget handcuffing you and leaving you there to die?" She rolled her eyes and rubbed her forehead, yet she laughed. "Sorry, Killian."

He wrinkled his nose in disapproval and shook his head. "Two: the compass. Even get it before Cora can get anywhere near it."

"No. Absolutely not." She looked at him and said, "Well… We could wait for the curse, right? See how that turns out for us. Shouldn't be too long I think, maybe a few months."

"A _few months_?! Swan… That's actually not half bad, and we don't need to get ourselves into too much trouble, do we?"

"That's all dependent on you, Hook." She smirked at him and continued, "We need somewhere to be safe for the time being though."

"The sea. There's no safer place, especially if we stay in generally good seas."

"I don't want to burst your little sea bubble, pirate, but where are we going to even get a ship? I'm _not_ doing the whole charming-you-in-this-land-just-to-get-what-we-need thing again."

Killian grumbled at the thought. "Bah, what a lowly man he was."

"He's you, don't forget that."

"No, I'm me. He's the me that is no longer me."

"How does that even make sense?"

"It just does, Swan!"

She laughed heartily in response and looked at the environment around her. It was grassy, a decent forest stood to their southeast, south, and southwest area. The sky above was blue as it could be, and no cloud could block out the rays of the sun that bounced off of the colorful flowers in the valley they were in. "I'm guessing I still have to charm some captain for their ship?"

"Oh, definitely not. We're going to _steal_ one. Like real pirates do." His grin widened as he pointed to a nearby stable with a dark horse stabled in it.

Emma widened her eyes at him. Her fair skin became paler at the thought. "What? There is no way we can steal a ship, Killian! I don't like this plan."

"Hm, well I do, so let's get a move on, shall we?" He winked at her and started at a skip, and then gradually accelerated into a sprint. Emma followed as best as she could, but the fact she was still wearing a dress certainly didn't help at all. "We just stopped running, come on!" He was at least a few hundred feet ahead of her, and he shouted back while running, "The faster you get here, the less time you have to run!" She did laugh at the thought, but she continued to run, holding up her dress at the same time.

The two of them snagged a horse from some poor stable, but they knew all would be fine, the horse would be replaced by the spell on them. Killian didn't look too comfortable on a horse, but he looked much more comfortable than Emma did. She bobbed up and down and wondered how people could have rode these things for so long. It seemed like they'd been riding for days, yet it'd only been just a couple of hours. Luckily, they had a clear path to the nearest port town in The Frontlands. Killian knew this was where he met Milah, in these lands, but he did not say a thing to Emma, who had her arms wrapped around his chest, clinging on for dear life while on the back of the horse. They really hadn't said anything to each other, instead enjoying their natural surroundings. It was green, and to Emma, it was mesmerizing. Her heart fluttered in remembrance of watching her parents fall in love in the Enchanted Forest, and smile appeared on her face as a cause of that. She remembered Killian telling her that not everyone gets to see their parents fall in love, and she could count her lucky stars that she was in that lucky bunch. It gave her insight on how they really were, or at least how they even met by seeing it herself.

There it was, the port town they'd get their ship from. This port was where Killian met Milah, and they trotted through the town, Killian did not say a word. His heart, too, fluttered. Not for Emma, not for Milah, but the thought of lost love in general. He thought of losing Milah to Rumplestiltskin and his revenge, and the thought of Emma dying passed through his mind as well. It made him sick to the stomach, but he couldn't help think about these things.

Emma said, patting his arm after noticing some level of discomfort within him, "Hey, Killian, are you okay? You haven't said anything for the past couple of hours."

The pirate looked back at her and gave a half-real half-forced smile. "Of course, love. Why wouldn't I be?"

She laughed to break any kind of awkward interaction, but she found it was unsuccessful. She said, "That was my next question, but it seems you don't know the answer."

He grumbled in response and turned forwards once again, Emma's arms still around his midsection. The cobblestone underneath their feet was worn down by travel, and the port when they arrived was full of muck and sailors cursing at each other. Killian quickly stopped the horse and hopped off, offering his not-hook-hand to Emma to help her down. She noticed the faint undertones of sadness in his eyes, something she had spotted often with him. When he said he would back off and let Neal and Emma have a chance again, when she blew off their first kiss in Neverland, deeming it as nothing. It was something to him, and she knew it was something to her as well. She'd even felt a flutter or two in her stomach while holding onto him on the horse on the way to the port town, but she did take his hand and accept his help to come down.

She smiled, easing the situation between the two, "What a gentleman you are, Hook."

He cracked a smile at her comment and bowed his head almost satirically. "It grieves me to think of how long it took you to think that, my dear Princess Leia."

Emma rolled her eyes, but her smile was still there. This was something Killian was uniquely able to do with her. Their banter always gave her a smile, but in that moment she was reminded of Henry and her parents, her want to go home struck a nasty chord in her heart that reverberated into her body language. Killian was already turned away, so she followed with those thoughts. They came to a shop, and Killian held the cracked, wooden door open for her as she walked in.

She looked around and furrowed her brow at the clothing they found in there. Leather, everywhere. Black leather. There was also an abundance of decorated vests, long coats, and…

"Leather pants," Emma said, shocked at the abundance of pirate-like things. "What is this place? Pirate depot?"

Killian looked at her blankly and shook his head. "I'm not too sure what a depot is, but this is a good place to act our part of pirates. I may look different, but my clothing needs to be changed as well. So does yours. Grab something you like and I'll do the same." He walked towards the shop-owner, who was a young woman. The young girl's face looked generally unhappy, but it sparked into a smile as Killian walked closer to the her. Emma couldn't hear their conversation, but she was sure he was charming the girl into giving them clothing for free.

While he was busy, she took the opportunity to look around for clothing she'd wear. She went to pick out something before Killian tapped her on the shoulder. "I've got something perfect for you, love. I guessed your size," he eyed her, motioning his hands to her body, "I think I've got it right." He tossed a sly wink at her and pulled out a frilled white blouse, which didn't look too bad, a brown corset, black leather pants, several rings for her various fingers, dark brown boots, and of course, a red-burgundy long overcoat to imitate her favorite red leather jacket at home. Emma looked at the clothing and blinked.

"Really?" The clothing almost fell straight out of her arms, but she held on to them.

"Yes, really. You want to fit in, don't you, love?"

She pursed her lips tightly and sighed, taking the clothes and moving to the back of the shop to put them on. Emma struggled to get the pants on, comparing them to skinny jeans back in her world. Her corset felt tight, but it fit, along with the shirt. She put on the rings, tricorn hat, and even the coat before her boots. She did like the boots, a dark leather with black straps over them. It looked like something she might've picked out herself. Once done, she went outside of the back room where Killian was still chatting up the shopkeeper, but when she came out, his eyes beamed straight to her and did not move away. The shopkeeper even looked at her, smiling. "Those look great on you!"

Emma stared towards the shopkeeper. The clothing did fit her, she thought. He oddly guessed her size just right, but that was something she'd have to ask about later. She never had imagined herself as a pirate in an enchanted realm, but if she could guess now… This is what she'd look like. It fit her style, and she enjoyed the thought of the red coat as well. "Oh, well, thanks."

Killian's eyes were still glued onto Emma, but he shook himself out of it and sauntered over to her and raised his hands to her shoulders, just to adjust her coat."You look incredible."

"I look like a pirate."

"Yes. Yes you do. A great one at that."

She moved to pull her pants up and said while struggling, "Please tell me something: why leather?"

"Because it looks good," Killian said with a half-smile that was aimed at her. "You'll also need this." He handed her a rapier, thin yet sharp, simple yet striking. "The lovely shopkeep here had it in the back. You'll need it."

The rapier was strapped to her side by Killian, who was also in new clothing himself. It looked pretty standard, but it was good on him. She decided not to comment on it, but she did decide to speak.

"Let's go get that ship."


	2. Making Pirates

Ships, grand and not-so-grand covered the area of the docks. Killian and Emma got looks here and there, but nothing too major. Emma heard Killian mumble under his breath something about the Jolly Roger and how he wished he had it right now, and she couldn't blame him. She spotted a decent-sized vessel and pointed it out to Killian. "What do you think of that one?"

"Too small."

"What?" Emma looked at the ship again, then back to Killian. She was clearly confused as it looked good enough to her. Killian shrugged in response and pointed to another one. "That's the one." The ship he pointed at was certainly grand, almost as grand as the Jolly Roger itself. Its sails were a solid cream color, not stained or ripped or anything of the like. The paint looked fresh and crisp, designs covering it from bow to starboard.

"That's the one," Emma said. "You're right. It's perfect."

"I know you'd see things my way, Swan." He smirked at her and she rolled her eyes in response as usual. They went over to the dock it was anchored at, and luckily for them, the ship was empty. "Ready to be a bit…" He hesitated for dramatic effect, but he continued, "Bad?"

"I suppose. I could use a little excitement." Killian moved his hand down in a signaled-fashion, and they ran to the ship. Emma went to get the anchor, but it was already up. The boat was floating there in the water, and as luck would have it, the boat was already leaving.

"Get them!" A pirate captain and about five of his crew came from all sides of the boat, surrounding them. "I reckon you're trying to set sail, but alas…" The captain smirked wildly at Emma and Killian. "Alas, you'll die before it happens." He took out his sword and swung at Emma, who was ready. A clash of steel was heard again and again while Killian dealt with the henchmen as best he could. One lost his balance, so Killian took the opportunity to push him over the boat. Two others followed him briefly afterwards, but the last two were relentless.

"Die!" One shouted towards Killian, lunging toward him, just to have Killian strike him through the chest and push him overboard as well. The last one, as Killian or Emma might remark, was smart. He jumped off of the boat and swam to the docks. The captain was still fighting Emma, but Killian took a moment to stare at the "pirate" beauty that Emma was. She swung her sword with enough ferocity and grace to make Killian's heart pump faster. He now decided his gazing was over and tripped the captain, whose tricorn hat fell off, and now Killian imitated lunging at the captain. The captain flinched hard, just like he had done when Emma did something similar to him at the hospital, but this time, the person could actually run. And run he did.

"Look at you, terror of the seas," said Emma to Killian after she took the captain's hat and placed it on her own head. It was a dark brown tricorn hat with a reddish feather attached to it, and her confidence was clear as she placed her hands on her hips. "I think I like this hat."

"I think I like that hat too. On you, I mean," Killian stumbled with his words, but he gave a charming smile that seemed to take her mind off of it. When she smiled back at him, his heart skipped a beat at such a sight. Her smile to him was always something that he enjoyed being the creator of, and with that he turned on his heel to steer the ship, which was now on its way out to sea. The sea… something that always calmed him. Crashing, sapphire-blue waves raised to meet the edge of the boat, yet the sheer power of the ship just broke through them. He could see Emma out on the deck, where her pale blonde hair became golden under the sun of the sea, and he remembered what he said to Charming on his trip. "Aye, I'd go to the end of the world for her, or time." He truly meant every word he said. To himself, he always said that he simply enjoyed the challenge of chasing a woman that had those walls up, but she seemed to be taking them down. That kiss they shared in Neverland may have exposed his feelings to himself, and the Echo Cave may have revealed how he felt to Emma, but he found himself falling for her more and more as her walls came down.

In some ways, he felt scared. He hadn't loved anyone since Milah, and all of those feelings of revenge faded in his mind as he stared out to Emma on the deck. She was looking out to the sea herself, and he wondered if he was thinking the same things he was. Once they were sailing out smoothly, Emma came up to Hook to watch him sail.

"I wanted to thank you, Killian," Emma looked to his back to let him concentrate. She waited for him to respond to her to say anything else. She understood cues if needed, but she waited a moment too long before speaking again. "For going back for me in the first place in New York…"

"It was the right thing to do." Killian didn't break to look at her and instead took the hint that he should be concentrating.

"How did you do it? How did you get to me?" She walked to Killian and placed her hand on his arm, almost worryingly.

"Well, the curse was coming. I ditched my crew and took the Jolly Roger as fast and as far as I possibly could to outrun it." He prepared to continue his tale, but Emma interjected.

"You outran a _curse_?" She stared straight at him, no clear emotion on her face, but Killian could probably read through that hint of worry in the twinkle in her eyes.

A devilishly handsome smile spread across his face, ear to ear. He assured her, "I'm a hell of a captain." She laughed at his comment, but she let his face turn back to steering the ship for a moment. Another moment lingered, and her arm was still resting on his arm, but he did decide to continue with the former soft and serious tone he took up to. "And once I was out of the curse's purview, I knew that the walls were down. Transport between the worlds was possible again, and all I needed was a magic bean."

"Those aren't easy to come by." Her words were true and piercing. Sharp and tonal.

"They are if you have something of value to trade."

"And what was that?" Emma looked at him, confused. She truly had no idea. After he said nothing for a long moment, she feared the worst. The worst part of it was that she trusted him, and she knew he wouldn't have done anything terrible, but she couldn't help but having a small feeling that something might have happened. "Killian, what did you do? _What_ did you trade?" She said this in a firmer voice, her hand subconsciously gripping tighter on his arm in intense worry. Her green eyes attempted to pierce through any false visage, and it seemed to work.

"Why, the Jolly Roger of course," said Killian. The words struck at Emma hard, and he could tell. This would hardly be the time for Emma to let Killian down easily, especially after he'd done so much to get to her. That entire year, all he could think about was her. How to be a better man for her. How to fight off the darkness for her. How to fight off the darkness for himself… He barely knew what to do, really, but at that time, all he knew was that he needed to get to her, and for this he was willing to trade his escape from everything: the Jolly Roger.

"You traded your ship for me?" Her brow furrowed at him, and she saw the weakness in his smile. Emma could tell it pained him to lose something he cared for, but he also seemed happy.

His voice said one smooth line that broke any wishes of staying apart any longer. "Aye." Their gaze lingered to just each other, no sound but the crashing of the waves and the flapping of the sails above them. Then, just like the waves crashed against each other, their lips did the same. Any walls Emma had were broken down by his complete vow of selflessness, and the arm that once gripped his traveled to the back of his neck, where she kept her hand gently. He moved his only good hand to her back in order to hold her closer than ever before. Just like the sea wears down a rock over time, Emma and Killian were each other's ocean. After a long and romantic moment together, Emma broke away and smiled at him with that smile he loved so dearly to see. Around them, the sea seemed to sparkle against the sun's rays, but Emma could not look away from the sparkling of his own sea-like eyes.

"Even after everything that's happened recently, nothing has changed my mind from what I said in those Echo Caves, Swan," Killian said as he looked directly at her, where his hand now grazed her soft and pale cheek, which was rosy with a faint blush. Her mind lingered at their kiss, his touch, and the release she felt when she did. It wasn't easy, keeping her walls up, but all of that energy she attempted to put towards her walls were just channeled into their moment. She could hardly believe that Killian would do something so selfless. "I've come a long way. Trying to be the hero isn't easy, but I will admit. It does have its perks." There it was; the humor Emma loved so steadily. It was lighthearted and always perfectly timed, but she did surmise it was because he has most likely had hundreds of years to perfect jokes like those.

The gaze Killian had for Emma was nothing short of mesmerizing. They'd taken a few steps away from each other in favor of taking a small breather, but they could not halt their stare. Almost like a game. Whoever broke first would lose, and unfortunately for Killian, Emma lost. She looked away and off into the distance. Even when they were all alone, something held them back. The clicking of Emma's boot heels traveled down the deck of the ship, but she came back up with a flag in arms. "We need pirate names." The same faint smile she had hours ago came back to her flushed face.

Killian understood the need for Emma's space, and he nodded in agreement in the changing of a subject. "Aye. I do think I like Captain Swan, though. Captain Leia Swan: legend throughout the realms! Known for breaking into royal parties under the alias, 'Princess Leia'."

"Captain Swan?" Emma laughed at the mere thought. "That sounds ridiculous, but sure, we can do that." She gave him the flag and said, "First Mate Charles, go hoist that flag. Captain Swan here can take the reins for a bit."

Killian huffed as the heavy flag entered his arms. "First Mate? Fair enough, I guess." He turned on his heel and furrowed his brow, walking away before wondering how she knew how to steer a ship. He shrugged and supposed it must have come with the confidence of the outfit. Once he figured out how to hoist the flag, the symbol on it shined against the sun. He knew that mark, and he remembered just was about to happen. He ran up to Emma, shouting with intense worry and dismay, "Emma, we need to get out of these seas, now!" She could barely hear him, though. She screamed back, "What? I can't hear you, come up here!" Killian grunted with distress and grabbed a spyglass in order to rush over to the deck.

Emma saw him run towards the deck with his spyglass, and another worried feeling dug itself into her mind. "Killian, what do you see?" And as she said that, her heart almost dropped out of her chest. Not actually, but on the horizon she saw a ship. Her hands began to shake, but she took a firm grip on the wheel and steered it the other way. "Is there any way we can make this go faster?!" Her grunted struggles called for Killian to help her, so he ran up after compacting his spyglass.

"If that's the ship I think it is, then we are in a lot of trouble," Killian's voice trembled, but he took the wheel from Emma, who he pushed. "I'm going to try to get us out of here. Load up the cannons, wherever they are on this ship."

Her eyes widened at his sudden rush of command, which she really had no problem with since she wanted to live, but the situation's demands were met instantly. All of his focus now was on the ship, and he was desperately looking for some kind of advantage. She found herself running down below deck to get cannons prepared, yet it felt like an instinct at this point. Was this the life that Killian loved so much? She couldn't possibly wrap her head around it since her heart and stomach felt as though they'd been replaced at this point, but it got even worse when she went below deck and saw that the ship had no cannons. Through one of the slits in the boat she could see the ship coming fast behind them. "How is that speed coming?!"

"I'm certainly trying, here! How goes the cannons?" Killian shouted from above deck, but in his mind he could not deny the fact that if this was the ship he thinks it is, they would not be getting away. The grip on the wheel grew tighter as his mind drifted into negative thoughts. Captured, hurt, or even killed.

There were no cannons, and Emma knew that. Her jaw clenched along with her fist, and she jogged back atop the deck to break it to Killian. The tone of her voice went soft as she told him, "This ship has no cannons, unfortunately…"

He stomped his foot on the deck and shouted a loud, "Damn it! They're getting closer! Swan, get below deck so they don-" the two of them were interrupted by a loud guffaw of various pirate sailors.

Emma turned her head, her mouth agape with shock. The ship, the crew, the captain… It was the Jolly Roger. Killian stood in front of Emma, knowing well what he would do if he saw her again.

There he was: Captain Hook. Not Killian. Killian had fought too hard to lose that name after all of the grief he faced. Hook grinned wickedly at Emma and Killian. "Well, would you look at that, crew! We've come across a regular pirate couple. Fancy they'd steal themself a ship, hm?" The pirate crew shouted unintelligible things in response, but it sounded encouraging. "And who would that be behind your back? Move." He waited for Emma to come out, but Killian held her there protectively. Doing what she does, though, she yanked her arm from Killian and went to the front of them, hiding her face with her hat. "Oh, lads, look! A woman captain. How interesting," Hook strutted up next to Emma and tilted her chin up so he could see her face, but his face became completely disoriented once Hook saw Emma's face. "The _bar wench_? Oh, _this_ should be good."


	3. Making Trouble

Emma was completely struck with shock, Killian watched her carefully and held his hand on his own sword, but Emma figured she might need to play along for the time being to save both of their heads. They'd forget about them if they let them go, but at this point, that was not possible at all. She gulped hard and stretched her fingers at her side, making a sly grin to Captain Hook. "I was wondering when I'd find you. You promised me a nightcap and then fell flat on the ground. Must've been the rum."

Her body language exuded confidence, but she was truly nervous on the inside. Her heart and stomach flipped back in each other's place again as Hook gave back a grin.

"I should have come after you. A woman that kisses like you do deserves a more devoted gentleman," Hook paused and kept her head tilted towards him and met her lips with his. She felt just like whatever he could remember. Wild, dangerous, yet incredibly appealing with her confidence. Many times he preferred brunettes, but to him, she was like rum: intoxicating and alluring.

Those same sea-like eyes didn't look the same on Hook as they did on Killian, but to confirm the act she kissed him in return with the same force, taking her hand to the nape of his neck. It felt riveting to her, yet it also felt incredibly wrong. He may have looked like the Killian she knew, but Hook made her feel sickly.

She pulled back and gave a fake smile when Hook did to her as well. "You've caught me. I was playing bar wench to steal a ship. And no, not yours. Every good pirate has heard of the," Emma moved her hand to his open chest and tapped it with the end of her finger, then continued in a whisper, " _Jolly Roger_. Along with its handsome captain."

Hook licked his lips with satisfaction and took her arm with his good hand and pulled her to his side, but he now looked at Killian. The spell worked on Hook, and Killian looked like someone completely different. "So if you two aren't a couple, then what are you two?"

Emma looked like she was about to speak, but Killian interrupted her with his own words. "Her first mate. Our old crew committed mutiny on our old ship, so we just took back what was ours." Killian winked to Emma while Hook looked towards the rest of the ship.

"It's a decent ship, I will admit. But you," Hook looked to Emma and grabbed her back, pulling her close to him, "I still don't know your name, love. Would you care to enchant me and my crew with it?" He placed heavy stress on the 't' and kept his grin wide.

Her hat was taken off with her hand as she placed it on Hook's head, playing a bit with him. "Captain Leia Swan at your service, darling." She could practically feel Killian's anger when she saw him ball his fist in the corner of her eye, but she could pay no mind to him right now. Hook required her full attention to fool.

Killian said nothing, so Hook took the chance to do it instead. He pulled Emma towards the Jolly Roger and said, "Well, Captain Swan, you are now mine. I don't care much for your ship, but if you stay here on my ship, we can rule these seas together. Not as a couple or anything officially romantic… But on my ship, you are _mine_."

Emma's stomach flipped around once again, and she felt as if she was going to vomit, but she knew she had to comply. "As long as my dear first mate gets to tag along, I am all yours. I can even teach you some things, Captain Hook."

Killian throughout their entire encounter was silent. His mind couldn't focus on anything, and the words they said may have traveled to him, he was absentminded. Nothing is what he did. Nothing but stare. He knew precisely what she was doing, but he didn't know how long she could keep it up, or at least how long he could tolerate it without punching his old self right smack in the face.

Hook, though, kept his grip on Emma. "You are too good to be true, love. A fiery woman like yourself, beautiful, confident, and even a pirate? If I'd know any better I'd say you're right after my heart, captain."

Her stomach twisted and knotted while he flirted with her, but she found solace in Killian, who was right there behind them. He smiled reassuringly, as he always did when she needed it most. Whenever she needed encouraging, he took the chance to do it. The smile he gave was the push she required to continue. He'd always be there for her, so it was her job to protect the both of them as much as they could. "You've got to be kidding me, Hook. I don't do anything unless it's for myself. Or a copious supply of gold. I'm just too good to be true, so maybe I am." She gave an incredibly forced sly smile to Hook, who gave a sly smile back.

They were led to a room below deck. It was decent enough. "You'll be sleeping here, mate," said Hook to the transformed Killian, "Your lovely captain will be sleeping in here, with you, unless she protests and wishes to stay with me for the night." Hook licked his lips and gave another devilish grin to Emma, who laughed it off. Killian felt his heart race and rage, and boy was his fist riled up.

Hook left their room, and they both gave off a sigh of relief. A tight hug was promptly given between them. "Killian, I'm so sorry. I didn't know what to do, and all I could think of was saving you," Killian raised her chin like Hook did, but with Killian she felt safe and comfortable, and her heart raced in a different way. Killian kissed her forehead and held her close.

"We'll be alright. Promise."

The morning came quickly, unfortunately for Killian and Emma. A repeating nightmare haunted Killian's dreams that night, and each time he woke up drenched in his own sweat. Over and over again he would watch Emma fall right out of his grasp, and maybe it wasn't just a dream. Emma and Killian had their first kiss together in Neverland, and just as things might have begun to look up for them, Neal turned out to not actually be dead. Just yesterday he felt as if he might finally have Emma all to himself, and of course, his old self came just in time. Killian though that maybe this was his fate: to never truly be with the woman he loved, no matter who it was. In those same thoughts he looked to Emma, who was still fast asleep. Somehow, even in her incredibly messed up hair with her mouth wide open in sleep, she still looked perfect to him. Looking at her also made him sad, thinking of the thoughts that he'd never be truly happy, so he decided to go to his constant solace: the sea. He put on his clothing, being as silent as possible as to not wake up Emma. Once on the deck, he found it was barely morning, and the sun was just peaking up on the horizon, giving the reflection upon the water a red-orange hue.

Thoughts continued to run through his head, of that kiss they shared on the other ship. The sun shining through her green eyes and making her usually pale-blonde hair turn golden. He could stare at her for hours just studying her facial features so he'd never forget. How he wanted to do nothing but hold her in his arms… The feeling killed him.

Seeing his old self charm her so easily, even though he knew she was putting on an act, it made him wonder if she ever pulled an act like that with him. What she said after their first kiss in Neverland: was it confirming or completely debunking the theory that what she was doing was an act? "A one time thing," the thought echoed in his mind, reverberating on every crevice it could find in his thinking. Surely it couldn't be an act if she was so willing to kiss him again, could it?

He found himself zoning out on the crashing waves of the ocean, and the only thing that brought him back was the footsteps of someone. He turned his head to the figure, who turned out to be Hook. Killian's fist curled instinctively, but he had to remind himself that Hook was, well, him. Literally. Hook slinged an arm around Killian and gave a grin, offering him his rum. As tempting as it might have been once, Killian shook his head and continued looking out to the ocean. Hook laughed and shrugged, taking a sip himself. "I thought you might be the morning-rum type of man," he closed his flask and tucked it back into his vest, gazing over the sea as well, "But I guess I was wrong. No harm done, mate. Where's Captain Swan? Still sleeping, I'm guessing?" Killian gave a nod to that, but didn't make the effort to look him in the eye. "You certainly look like I poisoned your food or something, but I just wanted to ask a simple question if you're willing."

This time, Killian did turn his head to look at himself. Did he always look like an asshole? He hoped that people didn't see him and think that immediately, but he listened to himself, as weird as it was. "And what might that be," he continued, in a mocking tone with an exaggerated accent, "mate."

Hook smirked and adjusted his leather overcoat confidently. "Are you two the ones that broke into that palace ball? I heard rumors of a 'Prince Charles' and 'Princess Leia' that stole the scene."

More thoughts of Emma flooded Killian's mind. That red dress she wore was like a dream now, and all he could reply to Hook was a simple, "Aye."

Killian saw Hook smile at that, but it wasn't nearly as devious as he thought it should be. Hook took a long sip from his rum and looked back to Killian. "Your captain is quite the adventurer, I see. I'd like to go to a royal ball myself, so perhaps you both can get me in? I wouldn't mind catching the attention of a real lady. Your captain has eyes for me, but she looks at you so much differently. It's almost ..sincere. I can tell she's attracted to me, obviously," he laughed and took another swig of rum, "but how can I get her to look at me like that? I haven't had a woman look at me sincerely in a long time, and it seems like she wants to, but she can't. So tell me, Charles, what do I have to do to catch her full attention?"

The beating of his own heart quickened as Hook said those words to Killian. He had wondered the same thing when Neal was around, but hearing it from himself made it feel different. Killian now took his flask and took a swig himself, sighing loudly. "It'll take a long time before she sees you like that, believe me." He knew precisely what he meant, an irony of sorts since it really would take years and years for him to even meet Emma, let alone truly be with her. "I wouldn't worry about it, you'll grow on her."

Hook opened his mouth, about to speak, but he heard footsteps come from behind them. Of course, it was Emma. She was all dressed up once more, but she could really pull it off. She smiled at the two and said, "Well, aren't you two a perfect couple?" Hook and Killian scoffed in unison, then looked at each other, eyes squinted in competition. "Gazing at the sea together… It's pretty romantic if you ask me."

A sailor above deck interrupted their banter with a sharp, "Comin' up on a port town!" To this, Hook ran up and took the wheel.

"Looks like we're getting supplies a bit early, lads! The winds are on our side it seems." Emma looked to Killian and gave a small smile.

"Should we leave as soon as we're able?" Killian's eyes traveled to Emma's when he said that, hoping she would say yes.

"No," she said, saying the complete opposite of what he hoped she would, "we're safe here, Hook isn't going to hurt you because he knows you're important to me, and well, he's certainly not going to hurt me for obvious reasons."

As they docked in the port, Killian was commanded to help the rest of the crew get the boat ready for them to go in the town, and meanwhile, Hook took it as his chance to ask Emma to go out in the town with him on business. "Come with me into town, love," he said, using his most charming voice he could, "we have a few things to do, and I wouldn't mind the company. Your, uh, first mate can stay here and make friends with the crew." Killian's eyes widened at the thought, but Emma nodded before Killian could even protest.

"I guess, sure," Emma adjusted her hat and red leather coat, taking the first step on the dock, Hook right behind her. "Where to first?"

Hook pointed in a certain direction and gave a casual shrug. "The jail will do."


	4. Making Hope

Author's note: Hello! I did want to address a little formatting I did. To those of you that read chapters before I changed this, I changed absolutely no content in the chapters. Simply, I didn't like the length of my chapters, which were around 1100 words each, so I just combined chapters 1, 2, and 3; 4 and 5; and 6 and 7. I would love to hear feedback if you like this change or don't like it. Anyways, here is your next chapter!

The staredown that Emma had with Hook was one to go down in the books. In her mind, he meant to take her to jail and take some reward, exactly like the pirate Killian had told her Hook was; however, she would quickly be proved wrong as she almost took a sprinting dash off. He grabbed her wrist and laughed. "What in the bloody hell are you doing?" The casual and fairly lighthearted tone that Hook spoke in helped ease her worry, but it still wasn't nearly enough.

She yanked her wrist and rubbed it, grunting. "Trying not to be brought into a jail so you can make a quick fortune?" Emma continued to glare angrily at him, distancing herself. When he gave her a boisterous laugh, however, she found her brow furrowing from an expression of anger to one of complete confusion. "What? Why are you laughing?" She placed her hands on her hips in a pose of authority, which he completely shattered with his next words.

"We're here to get a shipmate of mine," he looked at her and gave that infamous devious smile, "but let's talk about the fact you believe you're wanted for ransom. Did your little party break-in get you into some trouble, love? I will admit, the fact you're a fugitive makes you all the more dangerous, and I like it." He gave a very, very faint snarl at the end of his sentence.

Emma's eyes darkened and hardened at that comment. "Who told you that?" Her voice went low and her tone was sharp and demanding. "How would you know that if you're not trying to take me in?"

The people in the port bustled around, the sound of sailors preparing their ships, suppliers lugging around heavy crates of supplies, the people near the docks strolling around, laughing and having pleasant conversations together… Meanwhile, Emma was trying to figure out if Hook was trying to put her in jail or not. Hook shrugged and said, "Your first mate, of course. I asked and he told me." His voice lowered with hers, but his facial expression still radiated that same cocky confidence that she wished she didn't admire. God, Hook was like Killian in so many ways. Of course Hook was, they're the same person. She just wished she hadn't started to become fond of him. Hook was despicable, he was, but she could see the raw personality that she loved in Killian. It was hard on her, but she had to keep moving to get home.

"Got it. Great," she said, trying to get on with any business in order to get back to the ship faster, "To the jail then, Hook. Lead the way."

A laugh came from Hook as he said, "Call me Killian, love." Her heart practically stopped at that notion. It was getting too hard to see the differences between Killian and Hook now, and Emma gritted her teeth. She managed a smile, somehow.

"I think I'll pass, captain." She gave a smirk in her response and bowed her head jokingly, hat coming off with her hand. She felt her jaw clench as he shrugged and turned to walk away. No. This isn't Killian, not yet. Emma thought to herself, sighing. She followed in suit with Hook as he made his way to the jail.

The town was still bustling with activity. Horses and their hooves make familiar noises as they trot down the cobblestone path, and guards kept watch almost everywhere, like they were looking for someone or guarding something special. Emma ran up to Hook's side and walked beside him, taking his arm in her own. She said with a hushed voice, "Go along with it. Those guards aren't looking at you very nicely. And hide the hook."

Hook didn't protest as Emma hooked their arms together. He thought it was funny in his mind, hooking arms together, so he laughed to himself, but it was quiet enough that Emma didn't notice. He said after a quick moment of passing one guard, "Should we kiss as well? I think that might seal the deal." At this point, Hook was just testing his luck to see how far he could push Captain Swan before she broke that cool exterior of hers.

Guards peered straight at them as they got closer to the jail, and Emma noticed and nudged Hook. "Not now. Don't act like yourself, and steer us in the right direction. Also, what exactly is your plan to get your friend out?" Hook gave a simple shrug and took Emma's hand to his mouth. She could feel the brush of his beard against her hand, and goosebumps spread across her back, so she took her hand back to her side and looked forward. The jail was just a bit more ahead, and since he wasn't telling her, she said, "What is your plan? It might help to tell me."

And with that, they came right in front of the jail, where Hook stopped Emma and whispered, "Slap me, and act like you're absolutely furious with me, then run off to the side of the jail." Emma widened her eyes, but she nodded. To go along with the act, she made a loud gasping sound and slapped him as hard as she could, then strutted off angrily to the side of the jail. She heard Hook yell after her, "Leia, wait! Come back!" And as planned, he came around the side with her and smirked.

"Now what?" The wall of the jail beside them was grey, but Hook pointed to a grated window above them.

"Well you see. This is why I took you, love. You're much lighter than my shipmates, and I definitely can't reach that on my own. All you have to do is pull on the grates and help him out," Hook said with that same smile he often gave, his eyes turned against the sun just rising over the horizon behind them. She stared at him for a minute before rubbing her forehead with an exasperated sigh.

"Fine. Lift me up," Emma said, but before she could move over to Hook, he picked her up in his arms and took her above his head.

"Stand on my shoulders. I'll hold you steady." Emma did this with ease, but she was wobbly at the height below her, so she gulped hard and tried to keep her vision straight. When she grasped onto the grate, she pulled, and it came apart. Inside of the cell was an already-waiting familiar First Mate, who took Emma's arms and pushed himself up as best as he could. As Smee tried to push himself through the window, around the corner came several guards.

"Get them!" The guards came dashing around the corner to capture them

"Damnit, Swan!" Hook shouted with a familiar nickname, and Emma looked down to see Hook pulling her back, taking Smee with her. She fell to the ground with Smee next to her and grunted, the wind completely knocked out of her. Hook tried to pull her up to run, but they were met by the blades of guards, who also chained them in handcuffs. Emma looked, full of hope, to Hook, for some kind of solace, something to hold onto so she knew that he had a plan. It was too late when she realized this wasn't the Killian she had come to known. This man was all before that, and when she usually looked to Killian for affirmation or some kind of safe feeling, Hook gave her none of it.

She hung her head the rest of the way to her cell. She was put right next to Hook's, where she saw him sit down. She took her hands and clenched onto the bars and whispered to a belligerent Hook, "Captain, do you have a plan in that brilliant head of yours?" For some reason, Emma still kept looking for a reason to believe in the same man she had come to known elsewhere, but all he did was smirk and get up, grazing his hand and hook over hers.

"I have plans for us once we get out of here, love." There it was. The same walls again, and she knew that she had her own walls as well, so maybe this was some sort of payback.

"Once we get out of here, first," Emma said, even though she had absolutely no plans to do anything with him, and Hook's gaze to her was completely oblivious of that fact. In his eyes, she saw hope, something she hated to bring up now of all times. She found her hand lingering under his and pursed her lips together. "We will." Damnit, she thought, This isn't Killian. You have to stop, this isn't him and it won't be for a long time. Her heart shattered at the thought. She had no idea as to how they were going to get out, and to make it worse, a guard came in.

"You all are going to be executed this evening for attempting to break out your little friend here." The guard laughed and left as soon as he said that.

Hook's train of thought of the girl right in the cell next to him, Captain Swan, as she called herself, was completely interrupted. He had no plan, and they were going to be executed in a matter of hours. You shouldn't have brought her here. You could have done this yourself. Thoughts of regret raced through his mind like his heart did when she smiled at him just a moment before, so he released from Emma and went to the wall, looking for any possible way to get out of that damned cell.

Emma gripped onto the bars again for another moment and sighed. She did the same thing as Hook, looking for an escape out of that damned cell. She searched between every crack in the wall as Hook did, searching and searching. All for nothing, it seemed. Smee would have found a way out if there was one, so she slumped to the ground and stared at the bars near the front of her cell. Hook came to the side of his cell to look to Emma. "We'll be safe, promise." Emma's heart fluttered as she heard what she'd been desperately searching for with Hook. A hint of Killian, and she always knew it was there. She felt it in him, and his comforting of her affirmed what she believed. And now? She was hopeful, and she smiled to Hook.

Hours passed in silence between the three of them, but no escape came to pass. The guard came along as expected and took all of them out to a main circle in the town. They tied them to poles, where it seemed like they were to be stabbed through the heart or something. Hook was placed next to Emma, and Smee next to him. The guards gathered a decent crowd and announced their crimes, to which the crowd responded with lost favor.

Emma closed her eyes, hoping to relax herself before feeling any last pain. The same repeating image continued to run through her head: Henry. She felt her body reel back at the fact that Henry would be left alone. He had Regina, but she needed him. She felt a tear run down her cheek, slowly, as they called out for the executions to begin. One swung into Emma, but it avoided her heart because of a nasty slash to his leg. Her stomach was cut, and she let out a cry of pain. Emma opened her eyes in that moment to see Killian and a few other of Hook's shipmates fighting the guards off. Some of the shipmates ran over to untie the three, and once the guards were taken care of after clashes of steel, Killian took Emma in his arms. She blacked out.


	5. Making Waves

Author's Note: I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and I hope you all have fun reading it! Let me know if you guys like the Hook perspective in this and I'll see what I can do about putting more in. Cheers!

Over the next couple of hours, all she could remember were flashes here and there. Flashes that showed Killian and Hook over and over again. A voice reached her through her haze, and it made her feel safe somehow. Stay with me, Swan... The voice quivered in obvious distress, but it stayed strong for her. Her vision was too hazed to see who it was that bandaged her. Once she blacked out again, she felt a warmth stay over her hand. That hand was Killian's, and he watched over her, making sure she would be safe while Hook sailed them out of that port as fast as possible.

In Killian's mind, he knew he shouldn't have let Emma go with Hook. He could barely remember that he went to get his first mate at all, and all of this was really messing with his head. Why was Smee captured in the first place? I don't remember this. But he did remember it at the same time. It was so clear. Smee was captured after looking for the bar wench as Hook requested, but Smee had no leads and was caught, and of course, Killian, and, well, Hook, had to go after him. How coincidental that they came across Hook's path now of all times. The gash across Emma's stomach was healing as well as it could with some rum and whatever clean cloth they could find. Luckily enough for Hook and Killian, there was a crew member that knew how to stitch wounds together, and although Emma would most likely be fine, neither of them could take a chance to reopen her wounds by moving, so they kept her knocked out with sleeping dust they stole right before sailing off. They were almost out, though, and Emma needed to eat and drink. She'd been passed out for nearly two days, and they were on their last uses. During the day, Killian would come in and replace her bandages, clean her face of any sweat with a damp cloth, and keep her company. He liked to think that she could sense him there with her, keeping her safe. Killian flashbacked to the heroic rescue, as he liked to call it now, and remembered everything that happened before and after clear as day. It'd been too long since they went out, and it was almost evening. Killian had gathered as much of the crew as possible and made their way around the town, looking for clues. They were as surprised as they could be when they saw Hook, Emma, and Smee all in the town center about to be executed. Killian did the first thing that came to his mind and charged straight for the man attempting to pierce the woman he loves through the heart. He was just in time to make sure she didn't die immediately, and while the crew members fought off the other guards and untied Hook and Smee, Killian made sure it was his responsibility to bring her back, bleeding and all. Bringing her back was a trip of its own. She was bleeding profusely, and Killian felt tears well in his eyes. He couldn't show how much he cared for her in front of the crew members and Hook, so he forced those tears back. If Hook found out how much she meant to him, he would suspect something romantic. Yes, he wanted Hook to know that he wouldn't have Emma. Not yet. But he couldn't do anything about it. It was Hook that took them to safety, Hook's crew that bandaged her up, and all he could do was butt in when people were about to get killed and comfort them. He remembered whispering to her while he carried her back to the Jolly Roger. "Stay with me, Swan…" He saw her smile, even faintly, at that, and he had hope that she would be okay. All he could do now was stay by her side. That town wouldn't remember Emma and Killian anyways, thanks to Rumple's spell.

This is all your fault, you bloody idiot, Hook thought. He didn't show any compassion for Emma as to not tip off his crew that he might have feelings for someone. Never again would he let a woman into his heart. It caused too much pain, and he will never forget Milah, who Hook swore he'd avenge by killing Rumplestiltskin. Leia, or Captain Swan as she liked to be called, did remind him of a feeling he thought he lost long ago. All he could focus on was that he had to leave that port. He saw the way Charles, Swan's first mate, cared about her, but he knew it could never be romantic, for Captain Swan had feelings for Hook himself, and he felt it. He never planned to acknowledge it because in his mind? She was just a pretty, blonde distraction. Hook began to regret even bringing those two on his ship, because Leia opened up wounds that he was trying to heal. He thought of her in that cell, bringing out a hope in him he wished he'd had with him forever. Stop, he thought to himself as he began tearing up at the wheel of the ship, so he did. Little did Hook know he was never supposed to be ready to move on yet, but Killian knew that eventually Hook would feel the way Killian did about Emma.

Emma woke to the sounds of feet on the deck above her room. Killian dangled his arm off the chair he was sitting in, and it was near where Emma's was situated. She looked down and felt her heart race as she saw her bandages. None of that was a dream, Emma gulped hard as she thought. She felt the waves under the Jolly Roger rock the boat back and forth, and she decided it'd be best if she tried to sit up more. When she did, she grunted in pain as her gut was clearly still injured to some degree, and that grunt woke a barely-sleeping Killian, who stood up immediately and let her lean on his body for support.

"Take it easy. You took quite the swing," Killian tried to smile, but his face was unregrettably straight with obvious worry.

"You came for me, Killian." She looked up at him, remembering as much as she could in her dazed state.

"All in a day's work for a pirate, love. Saving legendary captains, damsels in distress…" This time he really did smile. "I think I'm almost offended that you would think I wouldn't come for you after all this time! You can't get rid of me that easily, I might add. Takes a lot more than dying to do that." Without another word, she embraced him tightly, but careful around her gut. When she felt his arms wrap around her as well, she felt tears jerk at her, but she just closed her eyes to make it stop. "Gods, Emma, you'd think that I would be the one needing hugs after watching you almost die. I hope we never have to experience anything like that again." He released her and kissed her on her forehead.

"Pirate or not, you saved my life." They looked at each other sincerely for a long moment, no words.

Killian opened his mouth and said, "Emma, I-" he was interrupted by a sound of footsteps coming down to them. He sighed and took a step away from her, pretending like he did not just embrace her. It was Hook, and he looked between the two.

"We're safe at sea." Emma remembered her act with Hook and went up to him to hug him. Part of her didn't feel completely awful for hugging him after all they've been through, but Hook seemed to be himself again. "When you're all healed, Captain Swan, I say we celebrate. Just the two of us."

She felt his hand go for her lower back to pull her closer, but she grunted in pain because of her gut. Continuing with him, she said, "Sounds like a plan!" She tried to give her best sexy-smile as she could, but it was hard when it felt like her gut was being reopened. It was only worse when Hook pulled her in for a sloppy kiss, and what she tasted on his lips was rum. She knew what rum meant. Or at least what she could remember what it meant to Killian. It was like an escape, almost. Something to help him cope, but what was he doing trying to cope with something? Did he find out that there was something between Emma and Killian? No, no, or else he wouldn't be kissing her right now. He felt rough again. He is not Killian. Not yet. The thought echoed through her mind again and again. Hook's hand grazed her cheek before he went back up to the top of the deck.

"We're having a feast tonight in celebration of getting our good old Smee back. If I don't see you two there I'll have a lot of questions." And with that, Hook went off.

Killian turned his head away when Hook kissed Emma, but what disturbed him most was that she seemed like she enjoyed it. A lump grew in his stomach and twisted it all around, but it lessened when he saw Emma look back to him once Hook left.

"He's still different. I saw a glimmer of Killian in him, but he's still the same after everything." Emma hung her head and shrugged. "Maybe it's for the best. I know you weren't exactly like you are now when I first met you, and it took a while to get to where we are now."

Killian nodded, understanding exactly what Hook should be feeling. "That me isn't ready for you yet, love. I think it's messing with him too. He should still have strong feelings for revenge now, but it starts losing its meaning when he meets you."

Hands connected as Killian said that, and Emma looked to Killian straightly. "Killian… I hope you know I am not trying to change that you. You wouldn't be who you are today if you didn't experience all of those years after Milah's death," Emma turned her gaze to one that smiled at him, "and like you said in Neverland, you are ready now. Your past is your past, but it's strange to see a different you face these problems more directly than when you did, or at least I get to see it more closely this time."

Killian felt his face fluster and go red at that, so he laughed it off and traveled up to the main deck. "See you at dinner, Swan."

"Likewise, Killian." She smiled, waving as best she could to him as he walked out.


End file.
